Fighting Temptation
by lonelymaiden
Summary: An Angelic queen, a Demonic princess and a prophecy that must not be fulfilled. MaikoxMika, YukixShu, HiroxTats


Disclaimer: I own the idea for this fic, nothing else.

Many thanks to my wonderful, talented beta-reader Orange Rose. Everyone go read her works.

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Fighting Temptation

Prologue: An Envoy

Shimmering eerily in the endless darkness of this place between realms floated a ring of concentric, blue-white circles, each one slightly raised from that below it. Frozen crystals crawled across the flawlessly smooth surface like living beings, edging ever closer to the living beings upon it. These few were the denizens of a realm as blindingly white as this place was endlessly dark, the air temperature of their home only the merest fraction warmer than the between land, yet enough for them to feel it.

Shivering in the icy air, fidgeting in impatience and boredom, a young demoness clutched the fur-lined indigo robes of her station closer to her slender form, brushing a strand of soft brown hair from her pale face with a black-gloved hand. This girl was Shindou Maiko, younger sister of the heir to a demonic realm, and she cursed the Angels with everything in her dark heart. There was nothing worse, in her mind, than having to stand outside freezing to death, well perhaps not death since she was immortal, but an ice cube at least. And yet, it was a political envoy and she, as a princess, had no choice but to attend.

"Hey, onii-chan?" she turned to the pink haired boy on the top level of their dais, craning her head to look up the unfamiliar height. Usually Shuichi stood only about half an inch taller than her but on these occasions he had to look impressive, or as impressive as you could be when you were only 5'5", had pink hair, violet eyes, a heart-shaped face and girlish figure.

Turning those bright eyes on the blue-eyed brunette below him, Prince Shindou Shuichi grinned at his sister, the innocence in the expression undoing every attempt that had been made to make him look 'fearsome'. "Yeah?"

Maiko rolled her eyes, though she wasn't exactly pure evil herself (uncompromised innocence being a family trait), she was demon enough to realise when it wasn't such a good idea to let that innocent nature show. Most of the time anyway. "When are they supposed to get here?"

Confusion made its way across the young demon prince's features, closely followed by incomprehension and, finally, blankness. Fortunately for his royal sister, Lord Nakano Hiroshi, Shuichi's closest friend and unofficial adviser, was present at the moment. The stunning redhead, a level below Maiko herself, smiled up at the girl, "They should be here any minute."

And, indeed, they were. Within seconds of Hiroshi's words brilliant light filled the perpetually dark sky and heavenly voices floated on the newly formed breeze. Maiko shuddered in the unaccustomed springtime warmth, even as her soul rejoiced at the promise of new life. Why was it that the Angels always managed to do that? Demons, contrary to popular mythology, inhabited places of ice and sub-zero temperatures, while the Angels often resided in realms that would make a desert seem chilly. These Angels, though, were of the more traditional variety, warm, green places with plenty of flowers and pretty animals made up their homeland.

Actually, as Maiko watched them come closer, she realised that wasn't the only aspect of tradition they seemed to follow. Leading the small band was the most stunningly attractive man she had seen in her long life, even more so than Hiroshi. Golden hair framed a beautiful face that should have looked feminine but, somehow, didn't, and fell across amber eyes. Sweeping white wings extended from slender shoulders, arcing above his head and almost brushing the ground at his feet. There was not an inch of him that wasn't sculpted to perfection. He was, in short, the most perfect physical specimen she'd seen. Until she set eyes on the man behind him that is.

Perhaps it was something in the dark eyes of this second Angel that made him seem more attractive than his blond companion, for they were both identical aside from colouring. Elegant black wings, this Angel had, and an air of mischief uncommon in the usually dignified race.

Twin gasps of astonishment and awe sounded from both above and below the young demoness as Shuichi and Hiroshi also took in the newcomers, and Maiko was only partially surprised to hear them. While it was no secret that Shuichi preferred the company of males to females, Hiroshi had long been considered a fan of the more womanly form, as several demonesses could attest. Still, lust was lust, whatever the gender it chose.

Before the demonic princess could continue her musings of, if not the heart, then at least the loins, the final members of the envoy were revealed. First was a short, green-haired, black-eyed boy with forest green wings and a serious expression, cute but not to Maiko's taste. After him came an equally short platinum blond with teal eyes, white wings and an unnerving smile that would have better suited a demon. The last male in the group looked shockingly like Shuichi (giving more life to Maiko's secret theory that she and her brother were at least part angel) but with dirty green hair and the same brilliantly blue eyes as her own, and wide, sugar-pink wings, clutching a small, pink, white-winged bunny to his chest. The final three members of the envoy were female, a dark-brunette girl with blue eyes and, again, white wings, a violet-haired and -winged woman with an impish grin and finally… a goddess.

She was staring, she knew she was, but somehow Maiko couldn't take her eyes off this dazzling creature with her long dark hair, darkest brown eyes and lithe, slender form framed by iron grey feathers curving elegantly from her shoulder blades to form the most perfect pair of wings in existence. She was everything that Maiko had ever wanted to be… no, she was everything that Maiko had ever _wanted_!

And Maiko _always_ got what she wanted.


End file.
